The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-04-08
THE YOHE MURDER.
THE AsSAssINs NOT YET DIsOOv-
Erred.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME REVIVED BY
SENSATIONAL REPORTS.

|
in a number of the daily papers last
week Thursday the following dispatch
appeared
SHENANDOAH, March 30.-After a
lapse OF seventeen years the mystery of
a most cold-blooded and atrocious muir
der and highway robbery, committed
here on the 27th of May, 1870, is
cleared up by confession made by
one OF the perpetrators of the crime
On the date named young man named
Jefferson Yohe, a resident of Mifflin,
Columbia county left this place for
home, with his team and the proceeds
OF the sale of ton of hay. About an
hour after leaving the town he was
found lying in the road on the top of
the mountain, about mile and half
distant, with bullet wound in his
neck. He was brought back to town
and remained here until he died, four
days later He retained consciousness
up to the time of his death and de-
scrlbed the men who had shot and
robbed him. There we've two of them.
One asked permission to ride and after
it was granted, and while the young
man was giving his attention to the
team, the stranger shot him and his
accompllce emerged firm the woods
and rAed his pockets.
The crime was committed during the
time when the Mollie McGuires were
committing frequent outrages and the
miners were engaged in long strike.
The Mollies and the Miners Union
were both charged with the crime for
a time, but suspicion subsequently
pointed to two neighbors of the mur-
dered man as the guilty parties. On
the afternoon of the day of the murder
Michael Harzel and Charles Freder-
ick, both of Columbia county were seen
IN town. They acted suspiciously.
They left town the following morning
and rode on the murdered mans wagon
as far as Ringtown. After their de-
parture it was discovered that they had
passed several counterfeit bank notes
on merchants and saloon keepers here.
Two weeks later they were arrested,
charged with the murder and robbery
and with passing counterfeit money.
A month after they were discharged.
Both men have since served terms of
imprisonment in the penitentiary for
counterfeiting, and on SUNDAY las,
Frederick died at his home near Miffiin.
Before his death he made confession
in which he declares that he and Hart
eel committed the crime. The latter
he said, obtained information that
young Yohe was to have several hun
dred dollars with him on his return
from Shenandoah and he induced him
to come here aud assist him in the mur-
der and robbery. Hartzel, he says,
mounted the wagon and did the shoot
ing and he went through the murdered
mans pockets and obtained seventeen
dollars in cash. Hartzel has been ar.
rested and is held in Columbia county
to awai: the arrival of the officers from
tins county, where the murder was
perpetrated."
The publication of this article caused
considerable excitement here, and the
almost forgotten murder was talked of
in every public place and on every
street corner. l: proved however, to
be false alarm, for it was not true
that Hartzel had been arrested, nor
was it true that Frederick confessed
before he died. In fact he did not die,
but is alive and well to-day, and is
working at Berwick.
As there has been so much discuss
ion of the case the past week, we are,
through the courtesy of Col. Freeze
ena lied to present to our readers very
full and correct abstract of the pro-
ceedings at the time it occurred.
After the murder Michael Hartzel,
Isaac Keen and Charles Frederick were
arrested charged with the offense and
were brought before David Davis, Esq.
a Justice of the Peace at Ringtown,
Schuylklll county, on the 3Oth day of
June 1870.
Charles K. Buckalew and John G.
Freeze Esqs., appeared for the Com
monwralth, and E. H. Little and c.
w. Miller Esqs., for the defendants
twenty-five witnesses were called by
the Common wealth and about ten for
the defendants. Col. Freezes notes of
testimony are very full, and develop
the case as it then stood. While the
hearing was in progress Frederick got
of from the officers and ran away and
Hartzel was, he believes, bound over
for passing counterfeit money and con-
victed.
On Thursday 26 May, 1870, Jeffer-
son F. p. Yohe left his nome in Mif-
Hin, with team consisting of black
horse aud roam mare, with load of hay
!" go over the mountains to Shenan-
dOah. Arrived in Shenandoah same
evening and stopped at Shultz's tav-
ern. Left Shenandoah Friday fore
noon for home, and passed some men
working on the road shortly before ~
o'clock M, alone on his wagon. About
one mile from Shenandoah, on home
road was shot by man who had Just
before got on the wagon to ride with
him, and just then, second man came
out OF the woods who rifed his pock-
cts, and both men left. Soon after, he
was found lying in the road and the
team by the side Of it. He was taken
back to the village to the house of
Geo. A. Herring where he died on
Tuesday, May 81, and was buried
June lst.
The evidence at that time was not
considered sufficient to hold the de-
PENDANTS on, and so far as is known no
new evidence has yet been discovered,
but "murder will out and some day
the perpetrators of this cowardly muir
der will be unearthed.
Blaine's Presentiment.